3 ms·

For the first time ever, I saw an 18% tip automatically added to the bill at a casual restaurant in Ft. Lauderdale. Party of 2 and there was absolutely no hint

For the first time ever, I saw an 18% tip automatically added to the bill at a casual restaurant in Ft. Lauderdale. Party of 2 and there was absolutely no hint it would be added from the menu or server. I caught that it was there by accident because I am not in the habit of checking the receipt in detail and they were clearly trying to dark pattern me into tipping twice. From now on I will be more careful if restaurants think they can get away with that.

listenallyall 5y ago
South Florida restaurants have been doing that for decades. Especially South Beach Miami. They get so many European and South American visitors who don't even consider American-style tipping, so they started adding it automatically. I agree, however, that it should be much more visible, or that waitstaff should clearly state out loud, a suggested tip is already added. But I think that since 90+% of customers are vacationers and not locals, the restaurants don't feel like they are jeopardizing repeat business by not mentioning it.
pishpash 5y ago
Places put local service fee pass-throughs (e.g. for local pay regulations), and still expect you to tip, which is a form of double tipping. Also these states already require employers to pay tipped employees full state minimum wage before tips [1]: AK, CA, MN, MT, NV, OR, WA So no principled justification to tip in those places, unless you like to tip for every service for some reason. [1] https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/state/minimum-wage/tipped https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/state/minimum-wage/tipped
- seanmcdirmid 5y ago
  > So no principled justification to tip in those places, unless you like to tip for every service for some reason. While they may make minimum wage, in this day and age, minimum wage is well below what you might make otherwise at a non-tipping establishment. Tipping is still expected at restaurants in Washington state, and is still the main source of income for most servers (the minimum wage they earn is less than the tips they receive, and if it weren't for tips, they wouldn't bother doing the job for minimum wage). I'm against the requirement to tip as a way of doing business, but will do it as long as it is expected. Ideally, we'd do things more like Europe or Japan.
  - pishpash 5y ago
    If you don't tip other minimum wage earners you are not principled. There are still many non-tipped minimum-wage jobs.
    - seanmcdirmid 5y ago
      You aren't wrong, but cultural expectations are hard to beat. However, these days, everyone barring McDonalds asks for a tip. I eat/take out less because of it, but I'll tip at least 10% even if there is no service involved.
seanmcdirmid 5y ago
The thing I really hate are 18% service charges tacked onto the bill and...a note that you should still tip in spite of the service charge. I mean, what?

listenallyall 5y ago

South Florida restaurants have been doing that for decades. Especially South Beach Miami. They get so many European and South American visitors who don't even consider American-style tipping, so they started adding it automatically. I agree, however, that it should be much more visible, or that waitstaff should clearly state out loud, a suggested tip is already added. But I think that since 90+% of customers are vacationers and not locals, the restaurants don't feel like they are jeopardizing repeat business by not mentioning it.

pishpash 5y ago

Places put local service fee pass-throughs (e.g. for local pay regulations), and still expect you to tip, which is a form of double tipping. Also these states already require employers to pay tipped employees full state minimum wage before tips [1]: AK, CA, MN, MT, NV, OR, WA So no principled justification to tip in those places, unless you like to tip for every service for some reason. [1] https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/state/minimum-wage/tipped https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/state/minimum-wage/tipped

seanmcdirmid 5y ago
> So no principled justification to tip in those places, unless you like to tip for every service for some reason. While they may make minimum wage, in this day and age, minimum wage is well below what you might make otherwise at a non-tipping establishment. Tipping is still expected at restaurants in Washington state, and is still the main source of income for most servers (the minimum wage they earn is less than the tips they receive, and if it weren't for tips, they wouldn't bother doing the job for minimum wage). I'm against the requirement to tip as a way of doing business, but will do it as long as it is expected. Ideally, we'd do things more like Europe or Japan.
- pishpash 5y ago
  If you don't tip other minimum wage earners you are not principled. There are still many non-tipped minimum-wage jobs.
  - seanmcdirmid 5y ago
    You aren't wrong, but cultural expectations are hard to beat. However, these days, everyone barring McDonalds asks for a tip. I eat/take out less because of it, but I'll tip at least 10% even if there is no service involved.

seanmcdirmid 5y ago

The thing I really hate are 18% service charges tacked onto the bill and...a note that you should still tip in spite of the service charge. I mean, what?